Unlawful Sale Of Academic Assignments

Under existing law, a person is not permitted to prepare, offer to prepare, cause to be prepared, sell, or distribute any term paper, thesis, dissertation, or other written material for another person for compensation if he or she knows or should reasonably have known, that it is to be submitted by any other person for academic credit at a public or private college, university, or other institution of higher education, or to advertise the same. A court may issue an injunction to prevent these practices. The bill defines 'assignment' to include any specific written, recorded, pictorial, artistic, or other academic task; maintains the existing offenses related to preparing or selling assignments, or advertising the same; and prohibits a person from preparing, selling, or offering to sell a document or service that provides answers for, or completes on behalf of a student, an online exam that is administered pursuant to a course of study at any institution of higher education, or advertising the same. The bill authorizes the attorney general to bring a civil action against a person who commits a violation related to the sale of academic assignments or online exam answers, and creates a civil penalty of up to $750 for each violation. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.) , Read More